Bulkhead pile driver



BULKHEAD P I LE DRIVER Filed May 25, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l Snventor 0&1? F payle April. 10, 1934. Q R DOYLE 1,954,523

BULKHEAD FILE DRIVER Filed May 23, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Cittorneg'.

Patented Apr. 10, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in bulkhead pile drivers, and has for an object to provide an improved pile driver mounted upon an improved frame, which will permit of the pile driver being progressively moved along the bulk head for the purpose of driving in a great number of piles without having to shift the set-up of the entire frame and mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to so arrange a supporting frame and pile driver in reference to the air compressor and regulating devices that the entire assembly will be compact and inexpensive in construction, will be susceptible of being set up quickly and easily, and in like manner moved to new positions with facility and ease, and in which the various operations governing the control of the pile driver may be carried out expeditiously by workmen having ready accessibility to the various control stations.

With the foregoing and other objects in view,

the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an improved bulkhead pile driver constructed according to the present invention and shown in a position of use upon a bulkhead.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged end elevation as seen from the left of Figure 1 with parts broken away and parts shown in section, and

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5-5 in Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the bulkhead upon which the device is placed consists, as more particularly seen in Figures 1, 4 and 5 of two spaced horizontal bulkhead beams 6 and 7 between which the piles 8 are driven by the improved pile driver. The piles may be afterwards secured to the bulkhead beams 6 and 7 as by the use of bolts or other fastenings 9.

The improved pile driver is designed to slide along the bulkhead and for this purpose is mounted upon skids 10 and 11 held apart at their ends by spacing blocks 12 which are secured to the skids as by the use of bolts or other fastenings 13. These blocks 12 are shown in Figures 3 and 4. Between the two end blocks 12 the space between the skids 10 and 11 is entirely open in order to permit of the insertion therebetween of the piles 8. In other words the skids 10 and 11 rest directly upon the bulkhead beams 6 and 7 respectively.

Pairs of spaced vertical standards 14 and 15 are erected near but spaced from both ends of 64 the skids 10 and 11. At the lower portions of the standards and upon the exterior surface are aflixed guide strips 16. These guide strips may be pieces of strap iron riveted or otherwise secured to the standards as by the use of the fas- 05 tenings-ll. The bolts 13 pass throughthe guide strips 16 at their lower portions. The guide strips extend below the standards and below the skids and overlap the bulkhead beams so as to center the sliding frame on the bulkhead.

The standards 14 and 15 are secured together by the fastenings 18 with which are associated spacing sleeves 19 in order to preserve the spaced relation of the standards.

At their upper ends each pair of standards receives therebetween the horizontal or overhead beam 20. Fastenings 21 serve to hold the standards to the overhead beam 20. The overhead beam 20 at both ends projects for a short distance beyond the pairs of supporting standards 30 and diagonal braces 22 are secured between such outer projecting ends of the overhead beam 20 and the standards.

The frame including the standards and beam 20 is narrow, being comparatively as narrow as 35 the bulkhead and consequently the same would tend to topple over if it were not for the elongated braces 23 which extend out angularly from the plane of the frame and slant from the upper overhead beam 20 downwardly and outwardly from the skids. The upper ends of such braces 23 are beveled so as to be placed flush against the sides of the projecting end portions of the overhead beam 20 to which such braces are affixed as by the bolts or other fastenings 24. These fastenings 24 are the same fastenings which secure the diagonal braces 22 to the overhead beam 20. The short diagonal braces 22 are applied to one side of the overhead beam 20 while the elongated braces 23 are applied to the opposite side 10 thereof. i

At the lower ends of the elongated braces 23 are applied fork pieces 25 which project in spaced relation below the lower ends of the braces. Bolts or other fastenings 26 pass through the overlapped portions of the fork pieces 25 and the elongated braces 23. The lower ends of the fork pieces 25 are secured to opposite sides of the horizontal stays 27 near the outer end portions of the latter. These stays extend over to the frame outwardly of the standards and are affixed to the skids by the bolts or other fastenings 28.

The outer ends of the stays 27 are perforated to receive a bolt or pin 29 which passes selectively through vertical rows of perforations 30 formed in pairs of spaced legs 31 disposed to opposite sides of the stay 27. At their lower ends the legs 31 carry a boot 32 of adequate size and area to give a sufficient hold upon the ground. Tins boot 32 is preferably elongated in the direction of the stay 2'7 in order to give a better balancing effect to the frame. The bolts or pivots 29 permit the legs 31 to be swung so that the sole of the boot 32 may acquire a proper seating upon the ground no matter what its inclination might be.

The saddle block 33 is positioned on top of the overhead beam 20 and is adapted to travel therealong. An under shoe 34 lies beneath the beam 20 and is supported by hangers 35 from the saddle block 33. In the under shoe are eye-bolts or other supporting means 36 for swivelly receiving similar eye-bolts or other fastenings 37 secured to bars 38, which bars support the leads 39. The leads receive therebetween the air hammer 40.

This air hammer is adapted to slide up and down vertically in the leads. The leads 39 are held in alinementand in spaced parallel relation by the metallic or other braces or steps 41. These braces 41 are offset from the line of movement T of the air hammer but are adapted to receive one side and are there trained over another idler pulley or sheave 46 supported upon the beam or uprights.

Both strands of the cable are then led downwardly along the upright to a drum 47 forming part of an air hoist which is operated by an air compressor in the usual manner. The air cornpressor also operates the air hammer through a hose 48.

The snub cable 49 is wound upon a snub drum 50 carried at the opposite side of the frame and having holes 51 therein for coming opposite a hole on the frame or supporting plate 52. A pin 53 is adapted to pass through the registering holes for arresting the rotation of the drum. The bandle of the drum is indicated at 54. The snub cable 49 extends vertically upward along the uprights to an idler pulley or sheave 55 supported upon the beam 20 and thence the snub cable extends over to the saddle block 33 and is affixed thereto.

In operation the air hammer 40 is raised up and down by the air hoist 47 through the cable 43. This cable and air hoist also operate to draw the air hammer supporting device including the saddle block and leads along the overhead beam 20 in the direction of. the air hoist. This occurs when the snub cable 49 is slackened as by withdrawing the pin 53 from engagement with the holes.

The weight of the air hammer 40 will resist its being lifted when the cable 43 is wound up by the air hoist 4'7 and thus the carriage including the saddle block 33 and leads 39 will be shifted toward the air hoist along the overhead beam 20. In this way the air hammer 40 is brought successively above the next pile space above the bulkhead.

The pile having been put in place between the skids 10 and 11 and the bulkhead beams 6 and '7, the power hammer 40 is allowed to descend by slackening the cable 43 until the hammer is in contact with the pile. Air from the air compressor is then turned into the hammer 40 and the hammer will deliver repeated blows upon the pile descending with the same and driving the pile in place. lhe air hammer 40 is then raised by the cable and the carriage is moved to the next new position where the operation is repeated. When the air hammer is to be raised, the pin 53 is inserted in the perforations of the snub drum 5G and its support whereby the snub cable 49 is made taut and therefore the carriage cannot move but is detained by the snub cable 49. When the air hoist 47 is operated to wind the cable 43 upon the drum the air hammer is therefore raised in the leads.

When the carriage is moved over against the uprights adjacent the air hoist, such carriage may be returned across the frame by winding up the snub cable upon the snub drum 50. During this time the wooden piece or strip 42 may be placed upon the step 41 for the purpose of holding the air hammer 40 elevated.

The frame as a whole is moved to a new position, being slid along the bulkhead upon the skids 10 and 11. This operation is easily accomplished as the legs 31 and the boots 32 may be quickly swung up about the pivots 29 or the boots may be left in place and slid along the ground.

The frame may be moved along the bulkhead by any suitable means. If desired the air hoist cable may be attached to a fixed object and wound on the air hoist drum pulling the frame along.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed:

1. In a bulkhead pile driver, a frame mounted to move along the bulkhead, means for balancing and bracing said frame, a carriage movable along the frame, an air hammer adjustably supported by said carriage, cable means connected to said air hammer for raising and lowering the same in said carriage and for further shifting the carriage on the frame in one direction, and a snub cable connected to the carriage for drawing the carriage in the opposite direction on the frame and also for controlling the movement of the carriage by the first mentioned cable means.

2. In a bulkhead pile driver, skids movably mounted on the bulkhead, uprights on the skids, a horizontal overhead beam supported on the uprights, a carriage movably mounted on said beam, an air hammer vertically movable in said carriage, an air hoist, a cable controlled by said air hoist and coupled to the air hammer for controlling the vertical movement of the hammer and also for moving the carriage in one direction, and a snub cable connected to the carriage for moving the carriage in the other direction and controlling the movement of the carriage in the first mentioned direction.

3. In a bulkhead pile driver, a frame including a horizontal overhead beam, a saddle block mounted for movement on said beam, leads suspended from said saddle block, an air hammer vertically adjustable in said leads, an air hoist including a drum, idler sheaves on said beam, saddle block and air hammer, a cable engaged with said idler sheaves and having each of its ends engaged with the air hoist, and a snub cable having one end directly connected with said saddle block and its other end adjustably connected to the frame.

4. In a bulkhead pile driver, a frame including a horizontal overhead beam, a saddle block mounted for movement on said beam, leads suspended from said saddle block, an air hammer vertically adjustable in said leads, an air hoist including a drum, idler sheaves on said beam, saddle block and air hammer, a cable engaged with said idler sheaves and having each of its ends engaged with the air hoist, a snub drum supported on said frame and having means to check the rotation thereof, and a snub cable wound on said snub drum and afiixed to said saddle block.

5. In a bulkhead pile driver, a frame including an overhead beam, a saddle block supported for movement on the upper portion of said beam, hangers depending from said saddle block, an under shoe supported by said hangers beneath the beam, spaced leads swivelly supported from said under shoe, an air hammer slidable vertically in said leads, operative means including a hoist cable for adjusting said air hammer in the leads and for moving the saddle block along the beam in one direction, and a second operative means including a snub cable connected to the saddle block for moving the latter in the opposite direction.

6. In a bulkhead pile driver, a frame including a horizontal overhead beam, lateral stays connected with the lower portion of said frame and extending substantially at right angles to the bulkhead, diagonal braces connected with the upper portions of the frame and with the outer portions of said stays, legs pivotally and adjustably connected with the outer portions of the stays, boots carried by the legs for engaging the supporting surface, a carriage mounted for movement on the beam, an air hammer vertically adjustably carried by said carriage, an air hoist including a drum, idler sheaves on the beam, carriage and air hammer, a cable engaged with said idler sheaves and having each of its ends engaged with the air hoist, and a snub cable having one end directly connected with said carriage and its other end adjustably connected to the frame.

OTIS F. DOYLE. 

